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Community Kitchen Partnership and Small Business Incubator

Harmony Natural Foods Cooperative is a member-owned retail food cooperative in Bemidji. A significant barrier to the spread of local healthy foods lies in the infrastructure required to sell processed foods in stores, to a farm-to-school program, or for use throughout the year. Local producers are looking to increase their vertical integration and sell value-added goods, but do not have the facilities or expertise to begin a business of this type. A community kitchen and small business incubator directly addresses this problem but while the desire to create a community kitchen exists, the resources and expertise required can be daunting. Pam Austad, a student at Bemidji State University, determined the feasibility of a community kitchen. The results are being used to advocate for a community kitchen at Harmony Foods.